Dorchester rapist to spend at least 30 years in prison

(Pool photo)

Moses during opening statements in mid-December.

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

A Dorchester man will spend at least 30 years in prison for raping two teenagers and a woman in Dorchester between July and September 2002.

Moonie Moses, 35, was convicted of a number of charges, including rape of a child with force, aggravated rape, and kidnapping.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Margaret Hinkle today sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences and other terms to be served concurrently. The sentence means that Moses won't be eligible for parole for at least 30 years, she said.

Moses, who represented himself in the trial, sobbed in a five-minute speech to the court, insisting on his innocence and predicting he would not live long if sentenced to prison.

"On my way to heaven, I will tell everybody I know that I did not commit these crimes," he said.

But as she sentenced Moses, Hinkle said, "This is not a case where there is a significant question in my mind whether the defendant committed the crimes for which he stands convicted."

Moses' representation of himself had created an unusual spectacle during the trial: the defendant cross-examining his victims.

Rosa J. Gonzalez, 18, who was 13 when she was kidnapped and raped by Moses, attended the sentencing hearing. She said she was pleased with the sentence and considered Moses "a pathological liar" for his continued claims of innocence.

She said that when she took the witness stand during the trial and faced Moses she had to struggle to control her emotions. "I wanted to lash out at him," she said. "I wanted to strangle him with my own hands."

She said she had not let the attack keep her from living her life. She noted that today she celebrated the first birthday of one of her daughters. Her other daughter is 3.

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